Nintendo offers Pokemon X/Y for free with 3DS or 2DS purchase

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Today marks the 3rd birthday of the Nintendo 3DS, which saw a release back on February 26, 2011. Since then, Nintendo has managed to ship over 42 million of them in various guises, including the larger 3DS Xl and 3D-less 2DS.

Sales are still well short of the Nintendo DS, which achieved nearly 154 million units worldwide, but Nintendo is working hard to push up sales wherever it can. And their latest offer is sure to entice more than a few gamers to pick up the handheld.

During the month of March it’s possible to receive a digital download copy of either Pokemon X or Pokemon Ycompletely free. You need to purchase either a 3DS, 3DS XL, or 2DS and register it to your Club Nintendo account during March. Then you need to purchase at least one of the following titles:

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D

Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins

Mario Kart 7

Super Mario 3D Land

Yoshi’s New Island

By registering one of those games alongside your newly purchased handheld, Nintendo will gift you a free copy of Pokemon X or Y to download and enjoy. The only other factor to take into account is that you must redeem the game using the code you are sent no later than May 31.

This is a great deal because everyone purchasing a 3DS/2DS was probably going to pick up one of the prerequisite games anyway. It’s also timed well, as we’re now entering that part of the year where games hardware and software sales start dropping off. It gets much worse in the summer, but that’s typically due to no new game releases.

So, if you’re in the market for a Nintendo handheld, or are considering replacing an existing one, March is definitely the time to do it.